In a new comical marketing stunt, the Vienna Tourist Board has invited an entire Scottish village to spend a weekend at the Austrian capital. The inhabitants of Dull are to decide whether or not Vienna is classified as cold during the month of January.
While Vienna is well-known for its festive season and Christmas magic, many believe that the month of January is usually the dullest of the year in the Austrian capital. Once the Christmas markets are over and Winter lingers on, there is little to do around town – that is, at least, the prejudice of the general public.
However, the Vienna Tourist Board does not agree. According to them, the new year brings all kinds of wonders to the capital, including balls, ice skating, Viennese coffee culture, sausage stands, and wine taverns. But who better to judge whether Vienna is ‘dull’ than the citizens of Dull themselves?
A personalised programme and a royal stay
Therefore, all 100-and-some inhabitants of the small Scottish village of Dull have now received a wax-sealed invitation and Viennese goodie bags from the Vienna Tourist Board. The invite includes a weekend stay at the Hotel Imperial, where celebrities such as Queen Elizabeth II and The Rolling Stones have spent the night in the past.
“We thought it was a scam because it’s so extraordinary. We really had to think very carefully, is this real? Who dreamt this up? What person in Vienna thought about this and why? But when we realised it was real, we just got really interested in it and excited”, Dull resident Ricky told STV News.
Aside from the hotel stay, all inhabitants of Dull will also be given a personalised itinerary based on their interests. Tours of the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum, dance classes, ice skating, a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, and even a meeting with the UK Ambassador to Austria, Lindsay Skoll, are part of what is possible.
Members of the Vienna Tourist Board have delivered invitations to the entire village of Dull in Perthshire! 💌
— The National (@ScotNational) December 1, 2025
Viennese officials hand-delivered invitations to their home city on Saturday, gifting residents slices of Austrian cake pic.twitter.com/3VFueR6X2E
“We’re proud of our museums, our concerts, our balls and our winter magic – but we also enjoy a good sense of humour. January is often considered the dullest month of the calendar, which is exactly why we wanted to bring Dull to Vienna. It’s the perfect opportunity to show how vibrant this season can truly be. We hope many residents will join us, and we’re eager to hear their expert judgment. With this initiative, the Vienna Tourist Board is calling on the residents of Dull to confirm: Vienna is not ‘dull’ – not even in January”, Norbert Kettner, CEO of the Vienna Tourist Board, said in a statement. What the outcome of the marketing campaign will be – and whether or not Vienna turns out to be Dull – remains to be seen. Many residents of the village have, however, confirmed they will be heading to Vienna in January to judge the Austrian capital for themselves.
